British ’60s TV sleuth endeavours to entertain
ENGLISH actor Shaun Evans may not have many projects on his résumé, but he has amassed quite a fan base in his role as Endeavour Morse in the British crime drama series, Endeavour.
In a similar vein to Midsomer Murders, Lewis and Inspector Morse, Endeavour has a tag team of two crime-solving leads: Endeavour Morse and Fred Thursday (Roger Allam).
This prequel to the long-running Inspector Morse visits his earlier career of solving complex cases with the same doggedness that he is known for. The fourth season marks the 30th anniversary of the first broadcast of Inspector Morse.
It is set in the summer of 1967 and it doesn’t get off to the best start for Endeavour, who is awaiting the outcome of his sergeant’s exam only to find it that it was never submitted by his superior.
Despite feeling disillusioned by the power trips of those determined to stifle his career, he gives his all to solving the cases on hand.
Meanwhile, Thursday and his wife, Win, are struggling to deal with empty nest syndrome.
Of the emotional goodbyes, especially to daughter Joan, Evans said: “I think everyone is quite private about it. They don’t talk about it, but obviously Thursday is gutted that his kids left home. And Endeavour is devastated that he felt that he was in love with someone and then she left.”
There’s also a degree of tension as Thursday is oblivious to Endeavour’s feelings for his daughter.
Commenting on the drama set in the late ’60s, he says: “I think it’s the absence of any technology that separates the series. Nowadays, you could just text someone or look for forensic evidence, whereas the show is more about thinking, speaking and finding clues out in that way. That’s where the drama comes from and if it was a murder detective story set now it would obviously be very, very different.”
As for the different locations they have filmed in, he said: “We are so lucky – we go to amazing places every couple of days – but my favourite to go is always Oxford. We don’t do all of it in Oxford, only three or four days per episode, and I just really like it.”
Commenting on the colleges that are used in the shoot: “The architecture in the first one we used – St Catherine’s College – was different from ones we’ve used before. It was much more modern which fits into the idea of the story well. It’s just a small thing but I think when you’re in an ongoing drama, you have to keep it fresh as much as you can rather than using the same colleges.”
When pushed on his favourite episode, Evans politely refuses to pick one as each offered a unique experience, while, at the same time, fulfilling the vision of that particular director.
When asked if he tries to figure out the identity of the killer while reading the script, he offers: “On first reading, I tend to just look at the story itself. Sometimes I do guess who it is, but then you have to be attuned to that.
“If it’s obvious, I make a point of saying it is and highlighting the point where I knew who the killer was, as you don’t want the audience to feel like that. You need to be in it but also have a distance.”
The actor admits that he feels lucky and privileged to be a part of such a well-loved British institution before commenting on his affinity with his character.
He said: “I guess I’ve always been something of an outsider. As a kid, I was always more interested in watching others than being the centre of attention. I’ve always felt that you can see a lot more and learn a lot more when you’re standing on the edge. Things get too noisy when you’re at the centre of things.”
This season, Endeavour and Thursday also find themselves in the midst of their most dangerous, baffling and terrifying case to date. 1 Suppress (5) 2 Bowman’s sport (7) 3 Bird sacred to ancient Egyptians (4) 4 Class almanac (8) 5 Prayer (6) 6 Brazenly, blatantly (10) 7 Flue (7) 8 Existing as an inseparable part (8) 12 Competent worker (10) 13 Make repairs, service (8) 15 Hasten the progress (8) 17 Small boat made of animal hides (7) 19 Old-fashioned highpitched trumpet (7) 20 Cubic capacity (6) 23 Unifying idea (5) 24 Twist, distort (4) Down: - 2 Unblock. 3 Trek. 4 Thiamine. 5 Outwit. 6 Mediocrity. 7 Reproof. 8 Signs. 9 Carriage. 14 Altogether. 17 Theology. 18 Preserve. 20 Prevent. 22 Utopian. 23 Unable. 24 Cacti. 26 Band. Down: 2 Abele. 3 Elektra. 4 Sutton. 5 Locke. 6 Arabica. 7 Deuteronomy. 8 Redgauntlet. 14 Martini. 16 Umberto. 17 Bhopal. 19 Mweru. 21 Night. Down: - 1 Stutter. 2 Ridge. 3 Ogre. 4 Sponsor. 5 Slip road. 6 Gentle. 11 Sporadic. 12 Ceramic. 13 Theatre. 15 Eclair. 17 Arson. 19 Once.
Endeavour 4 airs on ITV Choice (DStv channel 123) on Wednesdays at 8pm.